Would you like to take a trip with me in a time machine?

While Genus-ABS may have access to a lot of new and emerging technology, we don’t actually have a time machine. However, if you will use your imagination, you can take a trip with me to view the past, present and future of some of the many advancements in the dairy industry, made possible by genetic improvement. Along the way, we will visit one of the herds that is instrumental in driving faster genetic progress: De-Su Holsteins, the home of De Novo Genetics. At the end of today’s journey, it will be your challenge to envision how these changes can improve the direction of your dairy operation in the future with the goal of more efficient and sustainable food production from dairy cows.

Dairy cattle have an important role in the production of protein to nourish the world. It has been a decadeslong journey to improve the productivity of these beloved animals. Let’s briefly review key milestones in that journey.

In the 1940’s, artificial insemination was first introduced to many dairy producers, offering a wider distribution of genetics. In the 1950’s, frozen semen enabled a wider selection of genetics domestically and internationally. To take advantage of these opportunities, progeny test and more sophisticated statistical models were employed in the 1960’s – the industry was really starting to make progress!

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, embryo transfer became a reality, along with the Animal Model methodology to grant more opportunities for the female side of the genetic progress equation. In the 1990’s, new traits were added to the selection process, looking directly at longevity and health.

The turn of the century ushered in an even faster pace of change. The 2000’s have seen the use of IVF and sexed semen. In addition, the dawn of the genomic era has more than doubled the rate of genetic progress. These tools have been used to increase productivity and lower the costs of producing milk. Along the way, the dairy industry has certainly embraced new technology and grown in its use of big data to assist in the identification and dissemination of genetic improvement.

Let’s consider the example of a progressive dairy today. De-Su Holsteins in Iowa was founded by Dean and Sue Meyer and today is run by various family members and managed by their son, Darin Meyer, titled by Holstein International as the “king of genomics”. In 2016, De-Su Holsteins formed a Joint Venture with ABS to form De Novo Genetics. Both De-Su and ABS put all their Holstein female genetics into the nucleus foundation of De Novo. Today, De Novo is supplying a wide array of genetics for dairy producers around the world, exclusively available through ABS.

To accomplish this task, De-Su Holsteins houses animals on multiple farm locations in Iowa and Minnesota, including embryo donor facilities, 2 milking operations, calf and heifer rearing locations, and thousands of acres of crops. With nearly 2,000 cows and even more youngstock, there is never a dull moment on this family-run operation. A majority of calves born are the result of embryo transfer, each with the potential to be the next ‘great’ breed-changing animal.

Through extensive IVF and conventional embryo transfer work, around 400 calves are in line to be born each month at De-Su Holsteins, local cooperator herds and in the UK. These calves are each genomic tested, after which decisions are made. The best bulls are transported immediately to ABS in Wisconsin, while the best heifers are set on a course to become future embryo donors.

With such a wide variety of calves to choose from, you might expect that all donors come from this calf crop. However, De Novo continues to purchase new donor heifers, in addition to the internally created donors. This is done for multiple reasons. We are always looking for different bloodlines to incorporate new breed-leading cow families, bring genetic diversity, a different mix of traits, and a stronger foundation for potential change in the future.

While the goal of De Novo is to create profitable genetics, we know that different traits are valued in different ways by individual farms around the world. As a result, De Novo is searching the globe to find a variety of genetics that perform well and then creating combinations from those genetics to discover animals that can perform even better.

Next, let’s take a quick look at what data and technology do for us in the future. 50 years from now, when people look back, what will they see? Will we see as much progress as we have witnessed in the past 50+ years? Will there be more? What will have changed?

In the future, we certainly expect that cows will produce more milk of higher quality. They will be more efficient with the nutrients they consume. The next step in this direction is the newly released Feed Saved trait; the future steps could include innovative ways of collecting feed intake data. The cow of the future will be more fertile and healthier. New traits and technology can help with this as well. Every pregnancy will have a designed purpose. This could include crossbred calves with a terminal outcome or carefully selected embryos with a specific purpose.

I am encouraged by the latest scientific studies that show how much progress the dairy industry has already made to lower the carbon footprint of each unit of milk produced, making the dairy industry more sustainable. Future methods of breeding and management will improve the industry further, gathering more data and utilizing new technologies. All of this will result in more food from less input; getting more from less.

After all of this, what can you do today to prepare for that future? A wide variety of tools are available to help you use the best genetics that fit the needs of your dairy operation. To move forward, you need to be sure that you have the right plan.

This plan may include genomic testing to segment your herd, using beef on lower ranking females, sexed semen for your best females or embryos. Regardless of the plan that is best for you, I encourage you to work with a trusted advisor that can help design a custom index to select the best genetics to help you reach your goals.

Summary

In the past decades, we have made cows more efficient, with a lower carbon-footprint of producing milk.

This has been accomplished through management and improved genetics – made possible by improved technology.

In the future, this genetic improvement will continue to advance to more precisely create cows that make more from less.

You can utilize the results of these advancements in your herds today.